AT&T vs. T-Mobile: Which is the best unlimited carrier for you? (2024)

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  AT&T

  Excellent international perks

  AT&T’s plans are focused on offering tons of data with strong international perks. AT&T’s top plan, for example, even comes with unlimited talk, text, and data in 20 Latin American countries plus Mexico and Canada. AT&T makes mixing and matching plans on your account a breeze so you can give each person the plan that makes the most sense without giving up multi-line discounts.

  Pros

  • Excellent LTE coverage with growing 5G coverage
  • Full 5G access on most plans
  • Unlimited talk, text, and data in Mexico and Canada

  Cons

  • The 4GB plan is a bad value
  • SD video streaming on all but the top plan

  From $50/month

• 

  T-Mobile

  Unmatched 5G coverage

  T-Mobile’s 5G dominance has made it the go-to carrier for data-hungry users. T-Mobile’s network has some of the best average speeds thanks to its excellent mid-band 5G coverage and its plans are designed to utilize this network with plenty of premium data, and some hotspot data on every plan. T-Mobile also includes taxes and fees in many of its plan prices making it easier to choose your plan.

  Pros

  • Vast 5G coverage including mid-band 5G
  • Full 5G access on all plans
  • Taxes and fees included on all but the Essentials plans

  Cons

  • Some plans have confusing overlap
  • Price Lock has been discontinued

  From $60/month

AT&T has been trimming its plans down to the basics with the removal of extras like streaming services, and a focus on data and international features. AT&T offers five plans, four offering unlimited data. The four unlimited plans also support full 5G access and unlimited talk, text, and data in Mexico and Canada. T-Mobile, by comparison, has many plans, though there's a lot of overlap. For the most part, T-Mobile's most interesting plans are its Go5G plans; its two most expensive plans focus on delivering regular phone upgrades.

When it comes to coverage, AT&T has an edge in rural areas with a more developed LTE network but falls well short in terms of 5G coverage. T-Mobile got a decent head start in 5G deployment with earlier access to the mid-band spectrum, which has allowed it to rocket ahead in average network speeds. That being said, AT&T is still working hard to make a comeback with its C-band 5G network reaching the majority of Americans thanks to a focus on urban and suburban areas.

Mobile carrier features

AT&T’s current plans make it easy to mix and match different tiers, so each family member gets the plan that makes the most sense for their needs. There are five primary postpaid plans, four of which offer unlimited data. AT&T includes 5G support on all unlimited plans with full access to its 5G network, which includes its mid-band and high-band 5G, marketed as 5G+. Customers choosing plans on AT&T should focus on premium data amounts, hotspot data, and international coverage.

T-Mobile’s plans are a bit more complicated with seven plans available, though most new customers should focus on the Go5G and Essentials plans. Luckily, T-Mobile offers full 5G access on all of its plans, and all also include unlimited data. T-Mobile’s top plans, like Go5G Plus, feature unlimited premium data, while the cheaper plan, Go5G, only gets 100GB of premium data. The Essentials plans don’t get any premium data. While there’s still a lot to consider before selecting a plan, it’s nice to know that you’ll get T-Mobile’s best feature on all plans; it’s 5G.

Streaming resolution is one criterion to consider for either carrier. This refers to the video quality on apps like YouTube, Netflix, Disney+, and more. All but AT&T’s top plan is limited to SD streaming resolutions, which can look a bit blurry on a large phone display but won’t bother many people. T-Mobile offers a wider range, with its cheapest plans offering 480p video, its middle-of-the-road offering 720p, and its top plans unlocked to 4K. Annoyingly, HD streaming must be enabled in your account settings on both carriers.

One of the best things to come out of 5G is 5G home internet, and AT&T and T-Mobile both have it. The carriers offer home internet using 5G, with AT&T also offering Fiber; this is subject to availability, of course. While fiber is the network of choice, if available, 5G home internet can be fast enough for many people and a solid option if you’ve got a wireless plan with either company.

At AT&T, you can save $20 per month on Fiber or 5G home internet if you have a wireless plan. Fiber internet will offer better pings, more consistent speeds, and potentially higher speeds than 5G. 5G home internet is still a solid fallback if fiber isn’t available, offering plenty of speed to stream videos and browse the web. At T-Mobile, all wireless customers can save $10 per month on 5G Home Internet with Go5G Plus, Go5G Next, and Magenta Max receiving $20 off per month.

Mobile coverage and reception

When it comes to rural coverage, AT&T has an advantage with a more developed LTE network than T-Mobile. That being said, T-Mobile has made up a lot of ground in this area with its vast low-band 5G coverage. Still, if you’re heading out into the countryside, you’ll likely be better served by AT&T, though it can vary by location.

When it comes to 5G, T-Mobile has a solid lead over every other carrier with most of its network offering at least low-band nationwide 5G coverage, and the carrier is working to upgrade its towers with quicker mid-band 5G at 2.5GHz. This spectrum was acquired through its purchase of Sprint and allowed T-Mobile to get a much earlier start on 5G than AT&T. Still, once AT&T received access to the mid-band spectrum it won at auction in 2022, it started its mid-band 5G coverage.

As the name implies, mid-band 5G uses a higher frequency than nationwide 5G at around 3.7GHz on AT&T and 2.5GHz on T-Mobile. With coverage, the higher the frequency, the smaller the effective coverage area, meaning that AT&T needed to do more than simply upgrade its existing towers. Long story short, AT&T has been working hard to expand its mid-band 5G coverage, but still falls well short of T-Mobile’s mid-band coverage. For reference, T-Mobile calls its faster coverage Ultra Capacity 5G, and AT&T uses the name 5G+.

If you want to get an idea of what kind of coverage you’ll get with either carrier, be sure to check both AT&T and T-Mobile’s coverage maps where you live and work. To get an even better idea, you can try out T-Mobile using eSIM with the T-Mobile app. While AT&T doesn’t directly offer a free trial, its prepaid carrier Cricket Wireless does, so you can use that to determine coverage using the prepaid carrier's app. Speaking of prepaid carriers, these carriers rely on the networks of the Big Three carriers and sometimes Dish Wireless, so one of the best value data plans may be a better way for you to save if you don’t need all the perks of a postpaid T-Mobile or AT&T plan.

Phone compatibility

Phone compatibility is strong on both carriers thanks to their highly compatible LTE networks and common 5G bands. All the best Android phones will work on either carrier, whether you buy them unlocked or directly from the carrier. Even brands that were traditionally associated with T-Mobile like OnePlus have compatibility; both carriers will support the excellent OnePlus 12 and OnePlus 12R.

For the best 5G compatibility, you’ll want n71 and n41 band support on T-Mobile, and bands n5 and n77 on AT&T. Bands n260 and n261 are used for mmWave 5G, which is nice to have, but not necessary for many. While fast, mmWave has very weak coverage and is mostly suitable for large venues, like sports stadiums, or public squares. As for the phones, just about every 5G phone released in the past couple of years supports at least the low and mid-band frequencies.

If you want to check your specific model, AT&T maintains a list of approved devices with a wide range of models. For T-Mobile, you can check your phone’s IMEI in its BYOD compatibility tool.

If you’re ready for a new phone, you have the option to buy a new phone unlocked and bring it with you, or you can buy one directly from the carrier. If you buy it from the carrier, you’ll have access to some of the carriers’ best deals. For example, you can get $1,000 off a Galaxy S24 Ultra with an eligible trade-in on both carriers. You’ll need to sign up for one of their top plans, and you’ll need to pay for it using a payment plan to get the discount via bill credits. T-Mobile offers 24-month payment plans, while AT&T sticks to 36-month payment plans.

If you plan to upgrade early, you can add AT&T Next Up to your order for $6 per month on the S24 Ultra to upgrade early once you’ve paid off 50% of the value of the device. At T-Mobile, early upgrades are done with Go5G Plus, which gives customers new-line pricing on new phones every other year. And with Go5G Next, you’ll upgrade every year.

Plans

While coverage may be the most important part of choosing a new carrier, plans are a close second. With these plans, you’ll mostly be choosing how much premium data you want, how much hotspot data you need, and whether you’ll be traveling internationally. The top plans also tend to get the best savings on new phones to keep you paying for a more expensive plan.

Premium data is data that is set as a higher priority than data on cheaper plans or prepaid plans. It can be most helpful if you spend a lot of time in congested areas where the network struggles under the strain of thousands of people. If you want to share your data with a tablet, laptop, or other Wi-Fi device, hotspot data allows that.

When it comes to international usage, the top contender depends on your needs. AT&T offers unlimited talk, text, and data in 20 Latin American countries on its top plan with unlimited data in Mexico and Canada on its other plans. T-Mobile’s international options vary by plan, with some offering up to 5GB of high-speed data in 215+ destinations, with 15GB in Mexico and Canada. T-Mobile also stands out with free in-flight Wi-Fi on its bigger plans.

AT&T's plans

AT&T has five main postpaid plans: Unlimited Premium PL, Unlimited Extra EL, Unlimited Starter SL, Value Plus VL, and 4GB. Each plan gets usage in Mexico and Canada, and all unlimited plans get 5G access. These plans can be mixed and matched for each line, so users can get the features that make the most sense for their needs. Keep in mind that AT&T’s advertised prices require both paperless billing and auto-pay. Also, remember that AT&T charges taxes and fees at the end of checkout, so your bill will be a bit higher than the sum of the plan prices.

Starting with the lowly 4GB plan, this basic plan is a solid option for light users who want a postpaid plan. This plan is also eligible for AT&T Signature Program discounts, which are available through some employers and organizations. It’s disappointing that the 4GB plan doesn’t get 5G access since it’s already such a limited plan, but at least you can use your data in a hotspot. This plan costs $50 per month, but if you bring four lines, that comes down to $40 per line.

Moving up, AT&T Value Plus VL will make a lot more sense to most people than the 4GB plan at 99¢ more for a single line. This plan gets 5G access as well as unlimited data but lacks any hotspot data. This plan costs $50.99 per line for the first and second lines, $37.99 per line with three lines, and $30.99 when you bring four lines.

Unlimited Started is another step up, adding 5GB of hotspot data, but costs $65.99 for the first line. That’s $60.99 per line with two lines, 45.99 with three lines, and $35.99 with four lines. While this plan isn’t a great value with one or two lines, it makes a lot more sense when you bring the whole family.

Unlimited Extra EL adds 75GB of prioritized premium data as well as 30GB of high-speed hotspot data. This plan also includes AT&T ActiveArmor Advances, a security package that adds a VPN for using public Wi-Fi, identity monitoring, reverse number lookup, caller ID, Safe Browsing (which blocks known risky sites), and theft alerts on Android. This package normally costs $3.99 on its own.

The top unlimited plan takes the premium data to unlimited, upgrades the hotspot data to 60GB, and adds unlimited talk, text, and data in 20 Latin American countries, in addition to usage in Mexico and Canada available on all plans. This is also the only postpaid AT&T plan with full 4K streaming support. Lastly, this program gets the Signature Program Discount as well, so there’s a chance you can save.

Looking to save more? Military members, veterans, first responders, nurses, and physicians can get 25% off AT&T’s unlimited plans. If you’re 55 or older, you can also get up to two lines on the Unlimited 55+ plan. This plan aligns closely with the Value Plus VL plan with 5G access, no hotspot data, and SD resolutions. You’ll have to go into an AT&T store to get this plan, however.

T-Mobile's plans

T-Mobile currently offers seven postpaid plans: Go5G Next, Go5G Plus, Go5G, Essentials Value, Magenta MAX, Magenta, and Essentials. Starting with the two Essentials plans, they’re largely identical with 50GB of premium data, unlimited slow (3G speed) hotspot data, and SD quality streaming. Unlimited talk, text, and data in Mexico and Canada are included at low 128Kbps speeds, which is sufficient for messaging, email, and downloading a boarding pass. Taxes and fees are extra with these two plans. Essentials Value starts cheaper for one and two lines, costing $50 and $80 respectively, and $100 for three lines. For Essentials, it costs $60 for the first line, $90 for two or three lines, and $100 for four lines with a current offer.

Moving up to Go5G, you get 100GB of premium data, which is plenty for the majority of users, 15GB of hotspot data, and taxes and fees are included in the sticker price. In Mexico and Canada, you'll get 10GB of high-speed data, with 5GB of data in 11 other countries, and unlimited 256Kbps data in 215+ countries. If you’re traveling, you get four in-flight Wi-Fi sessions. By default, video streaming is set to SD 480p, though it can be set to 720p in your account settings. For a single line, Go5G costs $75, with two or three lines, it costs $130, and for four lines, you’ll pay $155.

Go5G Plus and Go5G Next are mostly the same plan with one key difference. Go5G Plus gives customers the same phone offers as new customers every two years, while Go5G gives them the same benefits every year. Apple TV+ and Netflix Standard with Ads are included with both plans, and Go5G Next also gets Hulu with ads. Video streaming quality can be set to full 4K. In Mexico and Canada, these plans get 15GB of high-speed data, and 5GB of high-speed data in 215 other destinations. For a single line, Go5G Plus costs $90, with two or three lines, it costs $150, and for four lines, you’ll pay $185. For a single line, Go5G Next costs $100, it’s $170 with two, $180 with three lines, and $225 for four lines.

The remaining Magenta and Magenta MAX plans are similar to Go5G and Go5G Plus, respectively. The Magenta plans have a bit less hotspot data and international data but are also a little cheaper. One of the biggest differences between Magenta MAX and Go5G Plus is the lack of new phone savings. If you like to buy your phones unlocked, it could be worth the savings to go with a Magenta MAX over Go5G Plus.

Most of T-Mobile’s plans have 55+, military, and first responder options that are cheaper. A single line of Go5G Plus, for example, costs $90 per month, while Go5G Plus Military costs $75. T-Mobile also allows you to bring multiple lines to these cheaper plans, so if you qualify, make sure to pick the right plan.

Which should you choose?

For most, selecting the right carrier between AT&T and T-Mobile will come down to how many lines they bring and how much data they need. When comparing plans, it’s important to remember that T-Mobile includes taxes and fees in the price of its bigger plans, so you’ll need to add a few dollars per line to see how AT&T compares. If you’re looking for the best 5G speeds, T-Mobile is the clear choice with a much larger 5G network and access to the network on all of its plans.

For four lines, T-Mobile is unmatched in value on its Essentials plan, and with the third line free on some of its other plans, T-Mobile can be a very good value. T-Mobile’s Go5G Plus and Go5G Next are great choices for those who like to upgrade their phones frequently, with upgrades every year or every other year. T-Mobile also makes it easy to take advantage of the discounted version of its plans with the 55+, military, and first responder plans supporting up to four lines, so you can bring the whole family.

T-Mobile

Editor's choice

Great coverage and speed

T-Mobile’s 5G dominance has made it the go-to carrier for data-hungry users. Its network has some of the best average speeds, thanks to its excellent mid-band 5G coverage, and its plans are designed to utilize this network with plenty of premium data and some hotspot data on every plan. T-Mobile also includes taxes and fees in many of its plan prices, making it easier to choose your plan.

From $60/month

AT&T can still be a strong value to some, especially those who travel internationally a lot. AT&T's unlimited talk, text, and data in 20 Latin American countries on its top plan is a better value than T-Mobile’s 15GB, for example. AT&T also includes unlimited talk, text, and data in Canada and Mexico on all of its unlimited plans, so even if you’ve mixed and matched your plans, the whole family can stay connected while visiting those countries.

AT&T

Viable second

Get great data and access out of the country

AT&T’s plans are focused on offering tons of data with strong international perks. Its top plan, for example, even comes with unlimited talk, text, and data in 20 Latin American countries plus Mexico and Canada. AT&T makes mixing and matching plans on your account a breeze, so you can give each person the plan that makes the most sense without giving up multi-line discounts.

From $50/month